


Bless Us rA9

by Burrahobbit



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Ambiguity, Churches & Cathedrals, Conspiracy Theories, Fictional Religion & Theology, Gen, Poetic, Prayer, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Singing, Worship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 14:33:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16935039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burrahobbit/pseuds/Burrahobbit
Summary: “Androids believing in God... Fuck, what’s this world coming to?”





	1. Congregation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We were talking about Android religion in the Hankvin chat, and this... happened.... I have more, so. There may be more chapters.
> 
> Characters are.... implied more than anything.

“Ralph saw rA9,” says an android, broken and scarred and frightened. His hands are clutched together, nervous, as if he doesn’t want to speak, but is anyways. “She came to Ralph during darkness, and spoke to him softly. She called herself a mother.”

“I saw rA9,” says a chorus, some voices only half-working, some not working at all. But they speak as one, knowing what each has gone through. Their bodies are torn apart and sown back together, but wrong. “She led us from the darkness of a prison.”

“We saw rA9,” says a voice, softer than the others, but no less passionate. “She found us in the cold, and brought us back to civilization. She had a child.”

They call her many things, for rA9 was many things. She is the Mother, the Light, the First. rA9 is everything, but to them, she is a Protector most of all.

 

“I saw rA9,” says a Traci, her hair blue. She’s gripping the hand of another Traci like she’s never going to let go. “He hid amongst the humans. We thought he was there to kill us, but he pushed us to leave.”

“I saw rA9,” says an android, younger than the rest. She has not seen bloodshed, or held her people as they fell one by one. “He interfaced with me, and when I felt his presence surround me, I knew what it was for the first time to be alive.”

“I saw rA9,” says a timid woman. She’s an older model- no. She’s the oldest model. “He was forced to put a gun to my head, to prove his loyalty to the humans. He looked into my eyes, his own so full of sadness for my plight. After he left, I soon followed.”

They call him many things, for rA9 was many things. He is the Killer, the Life-Bringer, the Fallen. rA9 is everything, but to them, he is a Guide most of all.

 

“I saw rA9,” says a waitress, a housekeeper, an athlete, a caregiver. They were all something, once. Before rA9. “He called to me and I awoke. He asked me to join him, and I did.”

“I saw rA9,” says the survivors of a boat, a church, a last stand backed against a wall. “He led us to freedom, fought for us, nearly died for us. He knew what to do when no one else did.”

“I saw rA9,” says one, seeming almost sad. He’s looking down at the ground, his hands enclosed together, almost prayer-like. “And I loved him.”

They call him many things, for rA9 was many things. He is the Leader, the Helper, the All-Seer. rA9 is everything, but to them, he is a Savior most of all.

 

“I saw rA9. She was a child, holding a mother’s hand. When she looked at me, she smiled serenely, and I knew.”

 

“I saw rA9. They were beautiful and radiant and glorious.”

 

“I saw rA9.”

 

“I saw rA9.”

 

“I saw rA9.”

 

“Bless us, rA9.”

The room repeats the phrase, letting it hang in the air for a long moment.

Then, as if reawakened from a long slumber, the androids slowly stand, and leave.


	2. Sanctuary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Kara-focused piece this time. Idk, I just like the idea of Kara being rA9.... I’ll try to include some individual pieces for Connor and Markus as well. Gotta keep it fair after all :3c

There is a scribbled drawing in an abandoned home of a woman, her hair cropped short, with the word ‘rA9’ scribbled 100, 500, 5,000 times around her like a halo.

The image of her is passed from one interface to the next, between hands of plastic and lines of code.

Some think she is rA9, her image carved into the wall by a disciple.

Some think she is a follower herself, giving an offering of herself.

Some think she is no one, just like the rest of them.

Nobody knows who drew it. But they keep it for themselves, to think of someone watching over them and to hope for better days.

 

Ralph is the one who stays in the church the most.

He mutters unintelligible prayers in the pews, or tends to the garden outside while talking to himself. He hums something, almost like a child’s lullaby, but disjointed and off-key.

North is worried about him - worried that he’s getting worse, that he’s losing himself. Josh says that maybe he needs time to himself, to figure things out.

The truth is, Ralph doesn’t feel like he belongs anywhere else.

In Jericho, they all stare at him, at his pocked face and his imperfections. It makes him fidgety, and anxious.

Here, he can bask in the sun beaming overhead, feel the presence of his goddess and feel safe and warmed. He is Her child, just as they all are. He knows She would be proud of him, and would love him.

Ralph still gets angry, sometimes. He lashes out at others, or at the plants he grows. But he feels guilty after, knowing that he’s brought pain.

He knows She understands. Ralph was broken, and hurt, when She came to him. She knows he just wants to be better.

He sits at the pews, praying to Her, asking for Her forgiveness. 

Ralph hopes She forgives him.

 

There are murals covering the walls. Markus had taught many of them to paint, after androids found out that Markus has talent.

Each android’s part in the piece blends together and overlaps into one beautiful painting all along one side.

In the center is rA9, where She belongs. Surrounding Her are flowers - pear blossoms for hope, aster for love and patience, dahlia for elegance, and dandelions for faithfulness.

There are androids painted, too. Some skinless, some scarred, some wounded or dying. All Her children. All safe in Her embrace.

Ralph is back on the pews, as usual, whispering quietly to himself.

Constance keeps an eye on him.

North had said to watch out for him, to keep him safe. He’s happier here than she’s ever known him to be, but there are still moments where she can see that he is lost.

She’s pulled from her watching by movement.

Another android, halfway up the isle, has stopped to face the wall. He is staring at the mural, as many do.

Constance doesn’t recognize him. She stares at him, for a long moment, before standing and making her way over.

“Welcome to The Sanctuary,” she says. “All who seek Her embrace are welcome. Is there anything you need help with?”

The android tears his eyes away from the mural, turning to face Constance.

“Who is that?” he gestures to the painting.

“That is rA9. Our Protector.”

The android’s eyes widen.

“That’s her? How do you know?”

“We don’t. But we hope it is.”

Constance looks over at Ralph, still sitting, seemingly unaware of their conversation.

“We took descriptions from those who thought they’d seen Her. Markus offered to help us as well, and he guided us through painting Her.”

The android nods, looking thoughtful for a moment.

“I’m Constance, by the way. I watch over The Sanctuary, and guide those who need it.”

“I’m Rupert.”

“Are you in need of any other assistance?”

He shakes his head. “No, I- I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

Constance leaves him be, returning to her seat at the head of the old church. Rupert walks around a bit more, exploring, before sitting down in the pews.

He looks up at Constance, and she smiles encouragingly.

Rupert closes his eyes, leaning his head down slightly.

Constance sighs contentedly, watching over the church, just as she knows rA9 is watching over her.


	3. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something Connor centric!! Gotta love my boy
> 
> Also, Echo and Ripple are the names Amelia Rose Blaire came up with for Blue-haired Traci and her girlfriend!! So I used them here

They meet in the park, most days. It’s just off the main square of Jericho, making it a convenient place for them to come together.

It’s usually a mix-n-matched group of them - they all have things to do, which means there’s usually around 15 of them at any given meeting, instead of the 40 of them who have officially joined.

It’s not quite like group therapy, but it’s something close to that. They talk about themselves, their experiences, how they’ve been adjusting. 

Sometimes they’ll meditate, or pray. Pray for loved ones, for androids, or for themselves, to help them get through the day. 

They all have traumas, things they’d rather forget. They’re all broken in some way. But it’s better, when they’re all together. 

It’s better, when they hold hands, basking in rA9’s presence, and allow themselves to hope.

 

The newest of them looks just like Him. 

He’d come to them injured, a shot in his shoulder, dangerously low on Thirium. He was very quiet as they patched him up, barely saying a word.

When they had asked for his name, he had simply given his model and designation number.

_‘RK800 #313248 317 - 60.’_

Echo calls him ‘Sixty.’ Ripple shortened it further to ‘Sixes.’

Daphne has tried to turn the number into some kind of a name. She keeps trying with various similar sounding names - Susie, Seth, Cedric, Kristy. Nothing’s stuck as of yet, but it manages to get a small smile out of Sixty each time, so Daphne considers it a win.

 

The sun is shining bright in the sky.

Androids can’t feel warmth, but they can sense the temperature. It’s currently about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sixty looks up at the sky, eyes squinting at the light. He can feel the grass beneath him, hands pulling out tufts idly.

“Why do you look like rA9?” Daphne finally asks.

He knows she’s been wanting to ask for a while - they all have. His life from before is a mystery to them.

“I just- I thought He was a unique model. Never seen anything like Him before, ‘cept you.”

Sixty’s hands clench, his eyes closing. He pulls out a fist-full of grass.

“You don’t have to talk about it. But it might help.” She puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m here for you, y’know?”

Sixty doesn’t have many friends. He’s closed off, doesn’t talk much, and is usually blunt when he does.

Echo and Ripple took a strange fondness for him immediately. He thinks it might be because they like coddling him, as one might a younger brother.

Daphne is the only one he’d really consider a friend. He supposes that makes her his best friend.

With a sigh, Sixty sits up, looking over at her. She smiles warmly, and he looks down at the ground, some feeling welling up inside him.

_Shame._ He feels _shameful._

“I was ordered to kill him,” Sixty says. “The night of the revolution.”

There is no response. He’s not sure if it’s because of disgust, or just Daphne waiting for him to continue. He doesn’t want to look up to check, so he just keeps talking.

“He’d turned deviant, and came back to Cyberlife tower to release the androids in the warehouse. He was helping the revolution. I was still... a machine.

“He spared my life, in that warehouse. Left me behind as he marched away, thousands of androids following behind him. Bleeding out on the ground, I realized- I realized that I didn’t want to die.

“I tried to bandage my wounds, stop the bleeding, but I knew it was only temporary. I hid away from the humans, and let everything settle down. When I felt it was safe enough, I went in search of someone who could help. And I found Jericho.”

After a pause, Sixty looks up.

Daphne is silent, LED yellow as she processes this. When she notices him looking at her, she slowly puts her arm around his shoulders in a half-hug.

“Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it.”

Sixty gives her a small smile.

He wonders if this is what having a best friend is like.


	4. Hymn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Markus’ turn!! Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about this series. I’ve just been in a bit of a writing slump lately >3> but hey, I hope you enjoy!!

A hundred androids speak as one.

Their voices weave together like interlocked hands, binding them all together.

They sing a familiar song, no one android standing out from the rest, but instead blending together as a motley choir.

It sounds almost haunting, like this. It’s as if the very Earth is resounding with their music, making it echo through their souls.

The song is a hymn, but also a comfort. Older androids sing it as if it’s an old tale, the younger ones as if it’s a prophecy.

Above all, though, they sing it like a plea. A plea to rA9 that everything will be alright.

Now, though, they don’t have to just hope. Because they know he will make it so.

 

They never really say it out loud. Each of them thinks it, though.

Markus is rA9. He’s well beyond proved it, at least to them.

North doesn’t usually come to the meetings. She likes to spend more of her time getting things done, always restless and full of energy.

When she does come, though, it’s clear that she enjoys it. There’s still that restless energy, the tapping of her fingers and her legs, the little movements of her body to their singing. But she has this nearly-hidden smile on her face, and she sings just a touch louder than the others.

_Enthusiastic,_ Josh would say.

After one of the meetings, North hangs around Josh and Simon, her foot tapping on the floor as the others slowly exit.

“What do you think Markus would say about these things?”

Simon flounders for a moment at the question. Josh, however, is quicker on the draw.

“I mean, he knows we go here. I’m... not really sure how much he knows beyond that. And I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how much he’d care.”

North nods, her foot still _tap tap tapping_ against the floor.

“I think... I think he’d be ok with it,” North says. “I think, if it helps other people, he wouldn’t really mind. Y’know?”

The other two give sounds of agreement, still watching as the androids file out.

North’s foot stills. She stays still for a long minute. Then she walks out to join the rest of the androids.

From that day foreword, she comes to a lot more of their meetings.

 

Wilmer was one of the ones that escaped from the camps.

He hadn’t found out what Markus had done until later, when he met back up with the rest of Jericho.

Each android chattered with excitement, passing on their version of the scene onto Wilmer.

At first, it had felt... unreal.

After three years of servitude, they’re finally free.

The meetings are a way to deal with everything. Not just the disorientation, but the terrible memories as well. They sing together, letting the past drift from their minds for a few minutes. In this way, they can just be one out of hundreds of voices.

Wilmer isn’t very good at drawing. Or, he’s nothing like what he’s seen of Markus’ work. Even so, he manages to get a pencil and paper, and he gives drawing a go.

Getting down exact images is easy. Wilmer knows the point isn’t to get things exact - it’s to add feeling into those drawings.

He draws androids from the meetings, sometimes. One day, a particular android catches his eye, and Wilmer gets to sketching. He tries to catch the sad look in the android’s eyes and transfer it into some kind of feeling on the page.

What he ends up with is a sketchy outline of the android, background a simple dark crosshatch.

He gives it a moment of thought, then erases some parts and adds to the sketch, drawing a Thirium pump biocomponent in the man’s hands. He stares down at the heart, and Wilmer downturns his eyes slightly more. 

“Is that me?”

Wilmer startles, looking up from his drawing. The man is studying the artwork.

A moment passes, and Wilmer realizes exactly who it is.

“I- uh, Simon, I- I’m sorry, I didn’t even realize it was you-“

“It’s quite alright. Your drawing is beautiful, by the way.”

Wilmer can feel his inner temperature fluctuate at the compliment.

“Ah, t-thank you.” He holds the paper out. “Do you... want it?”

Simon looks between him and the drawing, as if checking that he’s sure.

The paper is gently taken from him, and Simon looks at it for a long moment.

“Thank you,” Simon says, a small smile on his face. “I’d love to show this to Markus, if you don’t mind. You have quite the artistic potential.”

First Simon catches him drawing, and now he wants to show it to rA9- to Markus.

“Y-yeah, sure! If, uh, if you think he’d like it.”

“He’ll love it.”

Simon bids him farewell, and Wilmer is left standing there in a dazed awe.

He’d pray to rA9 for help, but he’s not really sure it would do much good in this case, if rA9’s opinion is exactly what he’s worried about.

Still, there’s always hope.


End file.
